Quality Assurance Strategies of Higher Education in Iraq and Kurdistan: A Case Study

Abstract

This paper reports on two different strategies that have been implemented in Iraq to improve quality assurance in the higher education sector in Iraq. One strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Baghdad. It involved conducting a pilot study at the University of Babylon. This pilot included establishing a quality development process that focused on training senior academic staff and quality reviewers who represented all the colleges of the University of Babylon. The University’s goal is to become a pioneer in quality assurance in Iraq. Another strategy was implemented in the Kurdistan Region Governorate, where a team of reviewers from Exeter University, United Kingdom conducted an initial evaluation of quality practices in Kurdistan Region Governorate universities. In addition, following this review, selected staff members, representing the different ministries’ specialisations, were then sent to the United Kingdom to be trained as quality reviewers and they will ultimately lead the programme from their ministries in the Kurdistan Region Governorate.

Keywords:

• Kurdistan
• Iraq
• higher education
• quality assurance training
• external consultancy